Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/380

 ongietan cunnon, & hie swaðeah eaðmodlice nyllað læran, hie sint to manigenne ðæt hie hie selfe ongieten on ðæm halgum gewritum, ærðæmðe hie oðre læren, ðylæs hie eahtigen oðer(ra) monna dæda, & forgieten hie selfe, & ðonne hie eal ða halgan gewritu ryhtlice ongiten hæbben, ðæt hie ne forgiten hwæt bi ðæm úpahæfenum gecweden is, hit is gecweden: Dysig bið se læce & untyd ðe wilnað ðæt he oðerne mon gelacnige, & nat ðæt he self bið gewundad. Forðæm sint to monigenne ða ðe eaðmodlice nyllað læren Godes word, ðætte ðonne ðonne hie ða untruman lacnian willað, ðætte [hie] ær gesceawigen ðæt ater hiera agenra mettrymnessa on him selfum, ðylæs hie selfe acwelen, ðær ðær hie ða oðre lacniað. Ac hie mon sceal manian ðæt hie geðencen ðætte hie selfe ne geunðwærigen ðæm wordum ðe hie lærað mid ðy ðæt hie oðer don, oðer hie lærað. Ac gehieren hwæt awriten is on ðæm ærendgewrite sancte Petres, hit is awriten: Swa hwa swa sprece, sprece he Godes worde, swelce ða word no his ne sien, ac Godes. Gif hit ðonne Godes word bioð, næs his, forhwy sceal hwa ðonne bion ahæfen on ðæm, swelce hit his agenu word sien? Ac hie scoldon gehieran ðone cuide [ðe] sanctus Paulus cwæð to Corintheum, he cwæð: Sua sua of Gode beforan Gode we sprecað on Criste. Se ðonne spricð of Gode beforan Gode, se ðe ongiet ðæt he ða word ðære lare from Gode onfeng, & ðurh ða wilnað Gode to liciganne, nalles mannum. Hie sculon gehieran ðone cuide ðe awriten is on Salomonnes bocum, hit is awriten ðætte God anscunige ælcne ofermodne man. Se ðonne ðe mid Godes wordum his agenne gielp secð, he wile reafian ðone ðe hie him sealde his anwealdes; & ne ondræt him of St. Peter; it is written: "Whoever speaks, let him speak with the word of God, as if the words were not his, but God's." If, then, they are God's words, not his, why shall any one be proud on account of them, as if they were his own words? But they should hear what St. Paul said to the Corinthians; he said: "As if from God before God we speak in Christ." He speaks from God before God, who understands that he has received the words of instruction from God, and through them desires to please God, not men. They shall hear the words written in Solomon's books; it is written that God abominates all proud men. He who seeks his own glory with God's words, wishes to deprive him who gave them to him of his authority; and is not afraid of subordinating God to himself, although God gave